Pacific Grove

Locally known as PG, Pacific Grove is a charming Victorian village located at the northernmost tip of the Monterey Peninsula. Known for its favorable, old-fashioned atmosphere, Pacific Grove has been nicknamed “Butterfly Town USA.” Taking pride in the thousands of Monarch butterflies that migrate to George Washington Park and Monarch Grove Sanctuary each year, in October the city celebrates with a Butterfly Parade and Bazaar. The community is also home to the yearly “Good Old Days Celebration.”

Once a Methodist retreat, Pacific Grove still provides a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere. Ocean Boulevard, perched along the coast, provides some of the city’s most impressive ocean views. The city’s Museum of Natural History, one of the finest of its size in the nation, houses life-size sculpture of a gray whale as well as exhibits on local wildlife, Native Americans, and geology.

Pacific Grove is home to the Point Pinos Lighthouse, distinguished as the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the west coast. The housing stock in Pacific Grove is defined by the city’s large selection of graceful, old Victorian homes. Most of these impressive structures date back as far as 1880. Lining the streets of Pacific Grove’s downtown area, most homes display plaques that are engraved with the original owners’ names and construction dates.